Storylines We'll Have To Wait On: The Reintroduction Of Chris Evans

After missing last year due to an academic issue, Chris Evans was poised to return fresh and motivated.

When the season was still on, I found myself very curious about how fifth-year senior Chris Evans was going to be used. He showed as a freshman that he was very talented and had home run ability, but I always thought he was used in the wrong way. He's not a power back, yet he was asked to run between the tackles often. 

Because Evans missed last year due to academic issues, we never got a chance to see him in Josh Gattis' "Speed in Space" offense, which is much more Evans' bag.

At 5-11, 216 pounds, Evans isn't a small back, but he's great in space, has long speed and is a phenomenal receiver out of the backfield. The next time we see him he'll be No. 9 instead of No. 12, but I think we'll see that same explosive player we saw during his true freshman season back in 2016.

Since watching his as a high school prospect, I've always been high on Evans. I think he's the most dynamic back on the roster, which to me, means you have to find ways to get him the ball often. Back in March, I predicted Evans' usage and as you can see, I'm pretty bullish on him as an offensive weapon.

I personally think Evans can be the X-factor in Josh Gattis' offense. In high school, Evans was maybe more dangerous as a wide receiver than he was as a running back. Because of that, I see him being very valuable in Gattis' spread system as change-of-pace back to go along with Zach Charbonnet and Hassan Haskins. He could be a very dangerous weapon in the screen game, on jet sweeps and as a traditional running back because of his long speed and ability in the open field.

I'm very curious to see how much he plays. I'm certain he'll have a role, but how many carries and how many catches can he pile up? Charbonnet and Haskins had 149 and 121 carries respectively, with just eight and six catches respectively. I would guess that Evans will come in under that mark as a ball carrier and way above that mark as a receiver. I also went out on a limb earlier this year and predicted that Evans will lead Michigan's running backs in total touchdowns. Charbonnet and Haskins had 11 and four respectively, all on the ground.

I think Evans could carry it around 80 times and make about 30 catches. He's certainly able, it's going to be about how he's deployed. If he touches it that many times, I think he'll sniff double-digit touchdowns and be in that discussion to lead all backs in scores.

If Evans is able to preserve his final year of eligibility after taking a redshirt last year, I expect him to be back in the spring or the fall, however that plays out. He needs more film and he needs to be seen in a spread offense. I was really anxious to see him take the field in about three weeks, and while I still am, I'll have to wait a while to see if I'm way too high on him or not.